Today's Scripture Readings
1 John 3: 11-18 (NRSV)
John 1: 43-51 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
On this last day of the Christmas Season in our Liturgical calendar the Lectionary brings us to the purpose of God coming to us in the Incarnate Word. Jesus Christ came to help heal those broken relationships by commanding us to loving one another and encouraging one another to believe and act on our Faith.
As I stated on December 27th the Holy Day and Commemoration of my Oblate name sake John; I find his writings to be oh so full of things to chew on. There is both depth and simplicity. The Gospel and the three letters according to John the Apostle and Evangelist ask us to think about who Jesus was and how we should respond to God's gift of God's perfect revelation.
Christians have positively and negatively responded to the Biblical writings attributed to John. The unmistakable proclamation of what Christians are to believe and think with regards to Jesus Christ have also led to some of the worst religious discrimination and spiritual violence. What is central to Christians by the Gospel and writings according to John, have also become the unfortunate weapons of choice when Christians decide to act contrary to the heart of our Lord and Savior.
John reminds us to learn to see every person that we encounter as our brother and sister. Those who translated what they understood John to say were dealing with the backlash of the Jewish religion and their people who were protesting and rejecting the newly forming Christian Church. In response to that backlash came the unfortunate and inappropriate use of religious exceptionalism that Christians were claiming made them resort to a great deal of anti Semitism that suggested that if Jews did not supercede into Christianity they were not able to gain salvation.
As I read 1 John 3: 11-18 I hear a real plea to not become a people who murder our neighbors because of our evil deeds. I would include that our attitudes which can breed violence in our hearts and minds towards others who are different than ourselves are also from the evil one. John encourages us to love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
As soon as I read that, I am immediately reminded of what we call "Minnesota nice." People are often quite "nice" in their words and speech to your face, but the truth of that all too often comes out in the action of complaining behind one's back to someone else.
Additionally, I remember the phrase: "We do not hate homosexuals, but we do not think they should have their equal rights either." These words and speeches have often been given by Christianist groups working against marriage equality for LGBT people during and after they have succeeded. Their actions during the campaign have been extremely violent. The cruel rhetoric about LGBT people in the attack ads that breed fear about the "dangers of same-sex marriage to children and the sanctity of marriage" are not only damaging, but completely false. It is pretty hard for the LGBT communities to believe some anti-equality hate group saying that they "love us" while using false information to create more fear and violence around a people who are already marginalized by the Church and society. It does appear to be "kicking the sick and wounded, when they are already vomiting and bleeding."
In the Gospel we see Philip the Apostle questioning if there can be anything good to come from Nazareth. Philip obviously has a stereotype attached to those who come from Nazareth. Jesus does not qualify his question with a "well of course there is". Jesus invites the skeptic Philip to "come and see" for himself He invites those he encounters to do more than just pay attention to only what they know and/or see, but to come and witness the great things God can do beyond their limited ideas and understandings.
The Incarnate Word invites us on this last day of Christmas to venture forth with him to see God's revelation (manifestation, Epiphany) through Jesus Christ. We will learn that God's love for all humanity in Christ is not just for a selected few, but for all who wish to find salvation through the unconditional and all inclusive love and grace of God. Everyone who knows marginalization and separation are invited to find God through the means that they find best to approach this mystery.
Christians will not make God's revelation of Christ known if we do not learn that our differences are not barriers to God's interaction with all human kind. Christianists with prejudice in their hearts place those barriers there. God's prejudices are not their prejudices. The ignorance about people different from ourselves that gives life to fear, which tends to lead society towards violence and often death is not ordained by God, nor is it God's will. Those who claim to be protecting what is God's by using political maneuvering to get people who do not share their opinions out of the way; such as those planning the meeting in Texas to decide which Christianist should be promoted to the Presidency and which should not be; is hardly a move that shows the love of God towards others in truth and action.
When Christians learn and act by showing the most radical hospitality and reconciliation towards all people, reverencing Christ's presence in everyone, then God is truly revealing God's Self to others through us. St. Benedict begins chapter 53: The Reception of Guests with: All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt 25: 35).
May this truly be part of our prayer and work to heal broken relationships in 2012.
Prayers
1 John 3: 11-18 (NRSV)
For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action
John 1: 43-51 (NRSV)
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
Blog Reflection
On this last day of the Christmas Season in our Liturgical calendar the Lectionary brings us to the purpose of God coming to us in the Incarnate Word. Jesus Christ came to help heal those broken relationships by commanding us to loving one another and encouraging one another to believe and act on our Faith.
As I stated on December 27th the Holy Day and Commemoration of my Oblate name sake John; I find his writings to be oh so full of things to chew on. There is both depth and simplicity. The Gospel and the three letters according to John the Apostle and Evangelist ask us to think about who Jesus was and how we should respond to God's gift of God's perfect revelation.
Christians have positively and negatively responded to the Biblical writings attributed to John. The unmistakable proclamation of what Christians are to believe and think with regards to Jesus Christ have also led to some of the worst religious discrimination and spiritual violence. What is central to Christians by the Gospel and writings according to John, have also become the unfortunate weapons of choice when Christians decide to act contrary to the heart of our Lord and Savior.
John reminds us to learn to see every person that we encounter as our brother and sister. Those who translated what they understood John to say were dealing with the backlash of the Jewish religion and their people who were protesting and rejecting the newly forming Christian Church. In response to that backlash came the unfortunate and inappropriate use of religious exceptionalism that Christians were claiming made them resort to a great deal of anti Semitism that suggested that if Jews did not supercede into Christianity they were not able to gain salvation.
As I read 1 John 3: 11-18 I hear a real plea to not become a people who murder our neighbors because of our evil deeds. I would include that our attitudes which can breed violence in our hearts and minds towards others who are different than ourselves are also from the evil one. John encourages us to love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
As soon as I read that, I am immediately reminded of what we call "Minnesota nice." People are often quite "nice" in their words and speech to your face, but the truth of that all too often comes out in the action of complaining behind one's back to someone else.
Additionally, I remember the phrase: "We do not hate homosexuals, but we do not think they should have their equal rights either." These words and speeches have often been given by Christianist groups working against marriage equality for LGBT people during and after they have succeeded. Their actions during the campaign have been extremely violent. The cruel rhetoric about LGBT people in the attack ads that breed fear about the "dangers of same-sex marriage to children and the sanctity of marriage" are not only damaging, but completely false. It is pretty hard for the LGBT communities to believe some anti-equality hate group saying that they "love us" while using false information to create more fear and violence around a people who are already marginalized by the Church and society. It does appear to be "kicking the sick and wounded, when they are already vomiting and bleeding."
In the Gospel we see Philip the Apostle questioning if there can be anything good to come from Nazareth. Philip obviously has a stereotype attached to those who come from Nazareth. Jesus does not qualify his question with a "well of course there is". Jesus invites the skeptic Philip to "come and see" for himself He invites those he encounters to do more than just pay attention to only what they know and/or see, but to come and witness the great things God can do beyond their limited ideas and understandings.
The Incarnate Word invites us on this last day of Christmas to venture forth with him to see God's revelation (manifestation, Epiphany) through Jesus Christ. We will learn that God's love for all humanity in Christ is not just for a selected few, but for all who wish to find salvation through the unconditional and all inclusive love and grace of God. Everyone who knows marginalization and separation are invited to find God through the means that they find best to approach this mystery.
Christians will not make God's revelation of Christ known if we do not learn that our differences are not barriers to God's interaction with all human kind. Christianists with prejudice in their hearts place those barriers there. God's prejudices are not their prejudices. The ignorance about people different from ourselves that gives life to fear, which tends to lead society towards violence and often death is not ordained by God, nor is it God's will. Those who claim to be protecting what is God's by using political maneuvering to get people who do not share their opinions out of the way; such as those planning the meeting in Texas to decide which Christianist should be promoted to the Presidency and which should not be; is hardly a move that shows the love of God towards others in truth and action.
When Christians learn and act by showing the most radical hospitality and reconciliation towards all people, reverencing Christ's presence in everyone, then God is truly revealing God's Self to others through us. St. Benedict begins chapter 53: The Reception of Guests with: All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt 25: 35).
May this truly be part of our prayer and work to heal broken relationships in 2012.
Prayers
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully
restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may
share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share
our humanity, you Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (Second Sunday after Christmas, Book of Common Prayer, page 214).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).
Gracious Father, we pray for they holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen. (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, page 816).
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